I got a 160 on the dec LSAT after 157 in Sept. I am 3.6/160 from UW-Madison which is also my top choice for school. I know they do show preference to an extent for instate students; however, I am concerned that this late in the cycle and by the time I get my app in I will most likely get dinged/ or at least waitlisted. So would I be put at a huge disadvantage if I got dinged this cycle and then re-applied next fall again super early? Would they look at my app again jaded? Basically I would love to apply and have a shot this cycle but not necessarily if it would really kill me next fall.

any ideas or general thoughts? thanks a lot everyone.

I think you should definitely apply. I had a 157 last year and applied right at the deadline and ended up getting waitlisted. I didn't get off the waitlist, but from my experience I definitely think you at least have a shot. I've also heard that Wisconsin somewhat favors people who reapply, so it might actually help you next year if you apply this year and don't get in.

Good luck to all you other 160-164ers. I have a 162/3.64 and am a glutton for punishment by applying to way too many reaches. Lets all hope they like soft factors. I keep saying that I will be way more proud of myself for getting into Stanford with a 162 than with a 170+ because it means they actually like me and not just my test score!

I went to the U of M for undergrad and applied there as well as UW Madison last year. I had a 3.64, 157 and I was waitlisted at both, applying at the end of the cycle. I think you at least have a shot at both with your scores, especially if you have good soft factors. If you want to retake, apply now and let them know you are retaking in December. That way you won't have to wait for your next score and will have a better shot at getting in than if you wait.

I really liked WM when I visited, and I've heard it has a good reputation in the cities. If you know that's where you want to be, I think you would be fine going there. I'm guessing since your scores are above their averages you'll get some decent money to go there.

The 25th percentile LSAT means that 25% of people have a score equal or less than 146, so you could get in with a lower score. Things like GPA and life experience count too. But I agree that it might help to retake if you are on the low end for the school you want to go to.

I'm glad to hear this happened to someone else too. I've been freaking out today because of my lowest score yet as well. I think it's just the pressure of the real thing coming up so soon, or at least that's what I'm telling myself! We've both taken tons of practice tests, and we've done well, so there is no reason to think we won't do well on the real thing. I'm going in with the idea that I saved all my points for Saturday!

I wouldn't suggest going back, not only because there is a good chance of getting caught, but also because once you move on to a new section still thinking about the last one you aren't going to be concentrating as well on the next section. You will probably lose more points due to lack of concentration than you would get from filling in bubbles.

I met with Dean Hall last week on Tuesday (8/14) and he told me the same thing, that they are over enrolled. I asked if that was common, and he said it had been in the last couple years, but (again it was a bit hard to get a straight answer) it did sound like even in the past when they were over enrolled at this point that they took some but very few people off the wait list. I didn't ask if they offered a spot to many people and most couldn't take it because of the late notice, or if it was more than one spot. He did tell me that Aug. 28, the first day of orientation, would be the last day that people would be called off the waiting list. So that means next week is our last chance. They aren't calling people through the first week of class like I think I heard somewhere else.

Hope that helps, good luck!! I am still holding out a very thin thread of hope, but am not getting my hopes up remotely high at this point.

I don't see what it could possible hurt to tell a lower ranked school that you would go to it over a higher ranked one. I don't know if it will necessarily help you out any, but I doubt it would hurt anything.

Wow, that does sound like an awful experience! It might mean law school isn't for you or not right now, but it might have just been a bad experience. I think everyone has felt like giving up at some point, especially when dealing with the stress of hanging onto waiting lists. I think you just need to think about why you applied in the first place. If it's because you are sick of your job and just want to do something, anything else, maybe it's best to wait and make sure it's what you want. But if you know you really want to be a lawyer, you should go for it. Maybe think about how you'd feel after withdrawing from your schools. Relieved or sad? That'll tell you how you really feel.

I would suggest waiting another year and retaking the LSAT. If you were doing that well on your practice tests, you would definitely do better next time. It would give you time to think about what you want, and you could get into a great school next year!